


Fallen Angel

by MissFrostFire



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/M, Fantasy, Haruno Sakura Bashing, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-01-08 23:53:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12264618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissFrostFire/pseuds/MissFrostFire
Summary: On his way home from visiting his brother's family, Sasuke encounters something that will change his life forever. For better or worse? Only time will tell.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fallen Angel is a song inspired story (Fallen Angel by L'ame Immortelle). It's the first story where I'll be only following one person, which in this case is Sasuke.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading it.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who helped with the creation of this story. You guys are awesome.

_5 th of June, 2016. Sunday._

_'What a beautiful sight,'_   thought Sasuke the minute he stepped outside.

The sky had long grown dark and air become cooler. The moon shone brightly, illuminating everything it touched. Silver stars lay scattered across the sky, decorating it with their fine beauty. The raven-haired man took a few steps forward, putting his hands on the wooden railing to see the stars better.

“Oji-san! Oji-san!”

He turned at the familiar voice, his gaze landing on his eight-year-old niece. A smile tugged at his lips and he asked, “What is it?”

“Kaa-san gave me this necklace,” she said and pointed at the pendant she wore. “Isn't it pretty?”

Black eyes looked down and took in the silver heart-shaped jewelry resting over his niece's chest. His gaze went back up. “It's very nice. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you!”

“There you are.”

Sasuke snapped his attention back up where his brother Itachi stood.

“Tou-san!” exclaimed the girl, running over to the other man.

“Hey Yuna,” he said and ran his fingers through her dark locks. “Your mother's looking for you. She said you were gonna help her with the snacks.”

Yuna gasped. “I forgot.” She turned to go back into the house.

“She's as energetic as always,” said Sasuke.

“Yeah, quite the handful, if you ask me.”

“More so than Seiji?”

“Much more. Seiji is pretty quiet, for a four-year-old.”

The raven nodded, turning back to look at the stars. A comfortable silence settled over the two brothers as they stood there in the evening spring.

Eventually, Itachi was the one to break it. “Listen Sasuke. I met this guy a few weeks ago...”

Sasuke internally sighed.  _'Here we go again.'_

“He's a photographer, quite handsome, has his own place, and is single. I told him about you and he's interested if you are.”

The raven didn't know when it all began, but ever since his brother got married he'd been pretty dead-set on finding a suitable partner for him. He'd lost count on how many men and women he'd gone through since the first blind date he'd been introduced to. After a while, he had gotten tired of it all and decided to take a break.

His decision hadn't really stopped his brother from finding any suitors though, but it had somewhat put off this kind of conversation. Now two years later it seemed like his brother wasn't going to give him any more time.

“What's his name?”

“Kumori Sabiru.”

Sasuke looked up at that. “ _The_ Kumori Sabiru?”

“What?” asked Itachi, eyebrow raised in question.

The raven couldn't help but roll his eyes. “He's a famous photographer. Some of my paintings are inspired by his work.”

“Speaking of which, how is that going?”

“Very well.” He smiled. “Karin and I are going to have another opening in July.”

“That's good.” He paused for a moment. “Would you mind if I invite father?”

The mention of their dad wiped off the smile Sasuke had been wearing. He shrugged. “You could try, but I doubt that he will come.”

“Sasuke...”

“I know, I know. He's a busy man, doesn't have much time. Least of all spend any of it even closely related to me.”

“It's not like that.”

“Oh really?” He turned and looked at his brother, eyebrow raised. “Then try mentioning one time he's even bothered to spend his time with me.”

Itachi opened his mouth as if to answer, but closed it a minute later.

“That's what I thought.”

“He has a hard time expressing himself.”

“Doesn't excuse his behavior.”

“No,” Itachi agreed. “It doesn't.”

“Finally, something we both agree on.”

“We agree on a lot of things.”

“I know, I was being sarcastic.”

Another silence settled over the two as they kept on watching the scenery.

“So, about Sabiru,” said Itachi. “Are you interested or not?”

This time Sasuke did let out a sigh. He was afraid that if he accepted it would be just like all the others, but if he refused his brother would only worry. More so than usual. In the end, there really was only one choice he could make. He would accept, but only to get Itachi off his back for a while.

“I'm in.”

…

“Can't you stay for a bit longer Oji-san?” asked Yuna with a pout.

Sasuke smiled kindly at his niece. “I would if I didn't have work tomorrow.”

“Can't you just skip?”

He shook his head. “Sadly I can't, but we'll see each other again soon.”

She nodded and smiled. “That's true.”

The two embraced each other and after a few more goodbyes said to the rest of his brother's family he turned towards his car.

It wasn't long until he was sitting in the front seat driving towards Konoha. His heart was filled with warmth and a smile was dancing on his lips. The visits to his brother's family always left him tingling. It was a nice experience, something he'd missed when growing up.

As a child he'd always been happy – at least, according to his mother and Itachi – but it kind of dimmed every time his father was around. His father wasn't necessarily a bad person. He had just been afraid of the man at the time. He always seemed to look at the raven with judging eyes, and no matter what he did, he could never satisfy the man. The few times he'd seen him wearing any expression apart from his blank look or frowning face was in the company of his brother.

Sasuke sighed and reached for the radio to turn on some music. Usually, he liked the almost silence when driving, but this time he wanted some distraction from his thoughts. He hummed to the current song playing. The raven glanced up at the sky and caught sight of the silver stars, still shining brightly.

All of a sudden there was a sharp sound, followed by a bright light and the earth trembling. In a panic, the raven-haired man drove to the side of the road and hit the breaks. In a matter of moments, he had come to a stop.

_'What was that?'_   he wondered and looked to his right.

He kind of wished that he hadn't because there he saw something very unusual. Bright lights – kind of like fireflies – were dancing across the field. They looked too bright to actually be fireflies though, and most of them were circling around a certain spot in the field. The rational part of Sasuke told him to get back on the road and drive away, but the more reckless part of him wanted to stay and explore.

In the end, the rational part lost and he left the car. A gust of cool air hit him, making his hair and clothes flutter as he walked towards the glowing orbs. He noticed that when he tried to get close to them they moved away. It made him wonder if the lights were alive or if there was some scientific reason behind the way they acted. None of it mattered, however when he approached the place where a lot of them gathered.

The glowing orbs moved away and Sasuke's breath caught in his throat of what he saw. A man was lying on the ground unconscious. After the moment of shock had passed, his instincts kicked in. He bent over the immobile man and checked for a pulse. Eventually, he found one. A relieved breath was let out and he let himself study the man's face.

To say that the man was good-looking was kind of an understatement. He was gorgeous. His skin tone tan, making the raven look even paler in comparison. Hair blond and spiky. Cheeks marked by three strangely symmetrical lines.

Before Sasuke knew what he was doing, he'd reached over to touch the other man's cheek. Eyelids flew open and blue eyes came to stare at him. The raven froze under the other's gaze until he remembered what he was doing. He removed his hand and asked if the other man was okay.

“Where am I?” asked the blond instead of answering his question.

“You're on the outskirts of Konoha.” He watched the other carefully and saw his eyes widen. “What is it?”

“I shouldn't be here,” he said.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed. Was this guy in some kind of trouble? Before he could ask, the blond moved to get up. The raven watched his face contort in pain and reached out to him.

“Easy, easy,” he said and rested a hand on the other's shoulder.

“I need to get back,” said the blond desperately. “They need me...”

The raven though to question the other man when suddenly he went limp. Sasuke again checked for a pulse and was relieved to know that the blond had only fainted.

_'What now?'_ He looked back at the man and how calm he looked whilst unconscious. He couldn't very well leave the guy here. He would freeze to death. No. He would take the guy to his home, or at least the hospital.

With his mind made up, he bent over to pick up the blond. It was surprisingly easy which kind of worried him. Did the man eat? He didn't look unhealthy in any way. Was he just naturally light? Maybe.

Despite the blonde's lightweight his arms ached pretty quickly. When arriving at the vehicle he strapped the man to the front seat, careful not to jostle him. He allowed himself to stop to admire the man for a minute before closing the door and walking around the car to get to his own seat.

…

“What the hell am I doing?” asked Sasuke the emptiness of his living room.

It had been an hour since he'd arrived home with the blond man. He'd put him in one of the guest rooms and hadn't checked on him since too caught up in his own thoughts. What he should have done was drop the guy off at a hospital and let them deal with it, but for some strange reason, it felt wrong to do so. He couldn't really explain why it just did.

The rational part of him was screaming for him to call the hospital and have them pick the man up, but every time he moved to follow the order, he just suddenly seized up. It probably didn't help that he was stubborn too.

Sasuke sighed and took a sip of his tea. He promptly spit it back out when instead of the expected warm liquid he was greeted with cold. He swore under his breath, taking the mug to the kitchen. As he stood there washing, his mind went back to the blond.

He was still a bit puzzled about what the other had been talking about. He'd been thinking of multiple reasons why the man could be in trouble, but none of them really added up. Another thing that confused him was the lack of wounds. The blond had clearly looked like he was in pain earlier, but after a pretty thorough search, he hadn't found anything. Of course, the wounds could be inside his body, which was why the rational part of his mind had been bugging him so much. Another thing, or rather things that the man lacked was anything to uncover his identity. There had been no wallet, ID, or phone on him. No clues whatsoever.

He could have been robbed, but robbers would only really be interested in the money and anything else valuable. He could also be homeless, but he didn't really seem the type. The clothes he'd worn weren't torn or dirty, they were rather clean. His hair wasn't greasy, but soft. There also hadn't been a funky smell coming from him in general. Not even his breath smelled bad.

Sasuke had wondered for a moment if he was dreaming, but a quick painful pinch had established that was not what was going on. He wondered if he was hallucinating. If his single life had been too much that his mind had decided to take matters into its own hands instead.

He snorted. It sounded ridiculous, but if that was the case he knew what he should do to get rid of it. Take a shower and head to bed. The raven dried his hands and turned on his heel, heading in the direction of the bathroom. A hallucination wouldn't follow him all the way to the next day. Right?

 


	2. Chapter 2

_6 th of June, 2016. Monday._

“It was real.”

Sasuke stood in silence as he watched the blond man that he'd apparently picked up last night. He'd thought that he had been hallucinating, but seeing that the guy was still here, he guessed that it had all been real.

The raven took a step back and shut the door. He walked to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. Not five minutes later, his phone rang. He fished it out from his pocket and glanced at the screen before answering.

“Hello, Karin."

“ _Morning Sasuke,”_ said a familiar female voice. _“You sure sound happy considering it's a Monday and in the morning.”_

He shrugged, even though he knew his friend couldn't see it. “I was at Itachi's yesterday, why shouldn't I be happy?”

“ _Right. How are they doing?”_

“They're fine,” he said and paused, contemplating to tell his friend what Itachi had told him.

Over the phone or not, Karin knew when he was thinking. “ _Stop thinking and just tell me whatever is on your mind before you give yourself a headache.”_

“I've never given myself a headache from thinking things over.”

“ _I didn't mean you personally. I meant that I will give you one if you don't spill this instant!”_

He didn't doubt that she would so he decided to tell her. “Itachi has found someone for me. A blind date.”

“ _Oh?”_ He could clearly imagine his friend with an eyebrow raised. _“A man or woman?”_

“Man.”

“ _Okay. Did he give out any other details?”_

“Said he's a photographer, has his own place, and is single.”

“ _Sounds pretty good. Did he say a name?”_

“Kumori Sabiru.”

It went silent on the other line for a full ten seconds before Karin reacted.  _“_ The _Kumori Sabiru?”_

“It seems like it.”

“ _You have no idea how much I envy you right now.”_

“Don't let Takeshi hear you say that.”

“ _Considering he's also a fan of Kumori-san I doubt he'll really mind.”_

“That's true,” he said with a smile.

Sasuke and Karin talked for a while, mostly about work-related stuff until he heard a door open.

“I got to go Karin. I'll see you in the studio later. Bye,” he said in a rush and hung up.

He then pocketed his phone and turned around. The blond man from last night stood before him. When their eyes locked time seemed to stand still. It didn't last for long though as the other man turned away to glance around his home.

“Where am I?” he eventually asked.

That snapped Sasuke out of his trance, giving an answer. “You're in my home. In Konoha.”

“So I really am down here...”

“Excuse me?”

The blond only shook his head. “Who are you?”

“My name is Uchiha Sasuke,” he replied. “And you?”

The blond man was silent. The raven could tell he was thinking about something, but unsure of what. Then it suddenly hit.

“Is it possible that you don’t remember your own name?”

The man snorted. “Of course not,” he said. “I’m Namikaze Naruto.”

Sasuke rolled around the name in his head. It sounded oddly familiar, but from where he’d heard it before he couldn’t recall. In the end, he just mentally shrugged and took a step towards the other. “Would you like some coffee?”

The blond hesitated before he nodded. “Okay.”

A few minutes later the two men were sitting at Sasuke’s dinner table. He had been quiet for a while and the other man hadn’t said anything either. Just a few comments on his apartment and how bitter the coffee was. For a moment the raven wondered if the guy had ever had coffee before judging by the way he acted, but didn’t dare voice his question.

One thing was still bugging him though. What the other had said out in the field. Before he knew it, he'd voiced the question.

Naruto visibly tensed up. “What do you mean?”

“Out in the field where I found you. You were muttering something about ‘shouldn’t be here’ and a need to get back somewhere. Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I can’t really say the reason, but I promise that it’s not something big.”

Sasuke could tell that the other was lying, but decided not to push him. “Alright.” He picked up his mug and took a big gulp of his coffee. “So, where are you from then, Naruto?”

“I used to live in Konoha until something happened that made me move.”

“Okay. Where do you live now?”

“It's sort of... complicated to explain.” Naruto lifted his mug to his lips and took a sip of the coffee. “I can tell you that it's far away and I have no way to get back there at the moment.”

Sasuke was gonna ask why, but then remembered the lack of a wallet or phone. That also struck an idea in him as he pulled out his phone from his pocket. “Do you need to call someone?”

“I... I don't know the numbers.”

_'That's strange,'_ thought the raven. Then again, one of his friends couldn't remember numbers even if his life depended on it.

“Can...”

Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts and looked back up at the other man. “What?”

Naruto looked rather anxious. He was twitching and his gaze cast downwards, but despite all that, he was smiling. “Can I stay here for a while?”

The raven didn't know how to respond but didn't get to as the other continued.

“I know I'm asking a lot, especially since you've already done so much, but I have nowhere else to go and there's no one I can turn to. I will of course not stay for free! I could get a job and do chores, or whatever else that needs doing. I won't be a bother, I promise.”

The cautious part of Sasuke told him that he couldn't possibly let some stranger stay with him. Who knew what kind of person he actually was? Perhaps all this clueless behavior was just an act. He might turn out to be a killer or rapist.

The generous part of Sasuke however, told him to let the man stay. He might not know the blond now, but over time he would get to know him. Besides, it wasn't as if he hadn't shared an apartment with someone before and it could be fun.

“You don't want to?” asked Naruto, his earlier happy demeanor dimming. “Of course, it makes sense. You don't know me and I-”

“No. It's alright,” the raven said, interrupting the other. “You can stay.”

His reward was one of the biggest and brightest smiles he'd ever seen. “Thank you.”

A smile tugged at his own lips, but he quickly hid it behind his mug. “You're welcome.” He downed the rest of his coffee before glancing over at the clock. He had about an hour before work. “I'm gonna make some food. Would you like some?”

“Sure,” said the blond. “Could I help with something?”

“Alright.”

…

“You're late.”

“Hello to you too,” said Sasuke and looked over at where his friend was currently sitting. She had her legs crossed, face scrunched up in concentration, and hair tied up in a bun. “How is the painting going?”

“Well enough I guess,” said Karin as she kept her gaze on the painting. “How was work?”

“Pretty uneventful,” he said and took off his coat before hanging it over a clean chair. “What about you? And while I'm at it, how is Takeshi?”

“Work was the same as always and Takeshi is fine,” she said. “Should I go with orange or pink for the sunset?”

“How about both?”

“Yeah, I was thinking that.”

“I don't see why you need to keep asking me when we are usually on the same page.”

“Usually yes, but not always,” she said with a smirk.

Sasuke chuckled and sat down, facing his own piece of art. “You're impossible.”

A silence fell as the two artists  turned to their work. The only sounds filling the room were of their brushes stroking against the cloth, breathing, and occasional hum of thoughtfulness.

The raven-haired man liked these moments. It relaxed him to just sit down and enjoy the silence like this while doing something enjoyable. His skin prickled in that familiar warm and comfortable way as he started coloring the sky on the canvas.

“Very nice.”

Sasuke didn't even flinch at his friend's voice, he'd already sensed her coming. “Thank you.”

“It's like I'm looking at the actual thing.”

“That's the idea. I want it to envelop you and make you feel like you're actually staring at the night sky.”

“What a poet.”

He rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”

“Anyway, would you mind taking a look at mine?”

“Are you done already?”

“I only had the sky to really do, and you already know that I work fast.”

_'That's true.'_ He didn't say that out loud though and stood up.

He strolled up to the painting his friend had just finished and his breath was literally stolen away. The picture facing him was a beautiful beach with a lovely sunset in orange and pink. Waves crashed onto shore and seagulls flew in the distance. It truly was a marvelous piece of work.

“So?”

Sasuke turned to face Karin. “It's beautiful. The details are on-point and the atmosphere I'm getting from it is something of complete calmness.”

“And the sky?”

“Amazing.”

The crimson-haired woman smiled. “Thank you.”

“So, what are you gonna call it?”

Her smile disappeared, replaced with a frown. “Why do you keep on doing that?”

“Doing what?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“You know I'm not good with names!” she exclaimed and then started muttering under her breath.

Sasuke could hear an insult or two but wasn't really affected by his friend's change in behavior. He had long gotten used to her mood swings. He shortly returned to his own seat and picked up the brush. Before the tip touched the surface, however, a thought crossed his mind. He put the brush down and turned back to Karin who was still muttering things.

“Something interesting happened.”

The crimson-haired woman stopped mid-sentence in her grumbling and looked up at the other. “Have you already met Kumori-san and become a thing?”

He rolled his eyes good-naturally. “Of course not. What gave you that idea?”

She shrugged. “Just a guess. You've been single for so long, who knows what might happen in a day? For all I know, you and Kumori-san could have met in secrecy all this time and been fucking.”

“I've never met him.”

“Alright, then what is this interesting occurrence you speak of?”

“I have a roommate.”

There was dead silence for a full twenty seconds before the woman responded. “What's his name?”

“Namikaze Naruto.”

Karin hummed thoughtfully before her eyebrows drew together.

Noticing the look Sasuke asked, “What is it?”

“No,” she said. “The name sounds familiar, but I might just be confusing him with someone else.”

“Yeah.”

“So, what is he like?”

The raven-haired man thought about that for a moment before he turned back to his painting and picked up the brush. “I don't know him that well since we met pretty recently, but from what I can tell he's very interesting.”

“Interesting how?”

“Just interesting.”

“You're amazing when it comes to describing paintings, but with people, you're at a loss. It's quite funny actually.”

“Ha-ha.”

“What about his looks? Is he handsome? Ugly? Sexy?”

“He's...” he trailed off as his mind went to the blond.

“Wow, maybe you should forget about Kumori-san and go directly after this roommate of yours.”

He turned to glare at her. “It's not like that.”

“Isn't it?” she asked. “It sure seems like it.”

“Well, it's not.”

She shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

They went back to work shortly after and didn't speak for the rest of the session. Sasuke stayed for two hours before he decided it was time to go.

“I wish I could stay longer, but I have another mouth to feed now.”

“How romantic! So, you're already at the stage of feeding each other?”

He rolled his eyes and opened the door. “Goodbye Karin.”

“Tell your roommate I said hi!”

 


	3. Chapter 3

When he stepped outside, the cool air of evening washed over him. The raven-haired man let out a content sigh, starting on his way home. He walked at a slow pace, not really in the mood to go fast. His gaze went up to look at the sky, which was broad and dark. Sasuke didn't know how long he stared at the empty dark space until a voice snapped him out of his trance.

“Sasuke-kun!”

He tensed up at the familiar voice, turning to face the person whom he knew to be standing there. “Sakura.”

The pink-haired woman smiled and took a few steps forward. “I thought that it might be you. What are you doing out here so late?”

“I could ask you the same.” In reality, he knew her reason for being out late but didn’t bother voicing it.

“I needed to get some groceries,” she said and held up the plastic bag she carried.

Sasuke wondered if what she said was actually true for once, or just another lie. “I see. Well, if you’ll excuse me I’m gonna go now.” He turned around to walk away. A hand on his arm halted him in his tracks though. He turned around to face Sakura once more, raising a single eyebrow. “What?”

“Can I accompany you?”

“No,” he said without hesitation.

“Why not?”

‘ _Because I don’t want you to find out where I live.’_   He didn’t say that though, and just went with what he usually said, “When are you going to finally accept that we are no longer a couple?”

“When are you going to finally admit that you love me?”

“Never. I told you that years ago, I can’t love someone who doesn’t care about anyone besides themselves.”

“That’s not true!” she exclaimed. “I do care!”

“Really? If that was true, you wouldn’t be following me around like some stalker. You would leave me alone. Consider my feelings for once.”

“I do consider your feelings.”

“If that really was true you would have stopped doing this ages ago. Yet you are still here following me around.” He felt frustrated seep into his body. The raven took a deep breath to calm down before continuing, “I’ve told you this before and I’ll say it again: I don’t love you. We will never get back together. So stop following me.”

He watched Sakura bow her head as her shoulders shook. He took that as his opportunity to go and left the crying woman.

…

“I’m back,” said Sasuke tiredly into the apartment and took off his coat. He removed his shoes before making his way through the hallway and into the living room.

He found Naruto sitting on the couch, his gaze glued to the TV screen that was playing an Anime. He took a moment to study the man until said blond turned his head to him.

“Oh. Welcome back. I didn't hear you come in.”

“I'm not surprised. You were so immersed that gunshots could have gone off and you wouldn't even have blinked.”

Naruto scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I'm pretty sure I would have heard something like that.”

_'Maybe,'_ thought the raven while out loud he said, “Have you eaten yet?”

“No. I decided I would wait for you to get back.”

Sasuke felt unusually touched by that statement. He didn't say anything on the matter though. “Do you have any requests?”

Naruto shrugged. “Not really. Just do whatever you feel like doing.”

The raven nodded and turned to the kitchen. He checked the cupboards and fridge, deciding on what meal to prepare. When he'd made a decision, he got to work.

His phone rang half an hour later. Sasuke put the eggs down and fished out the device from his pocket. He looked at the screen that displayed a number he didn’t recognize. He considered hanging up when a thought crossed his mind.

‘ _Maybe this is Kumori.’_ His brother had told him that the man would contact him somewhere during the week. He was honestly surprised that it would happen this soon but didn’t mind it that much. With that in mind, he answered before the ringing stopped.

“Hello.”

“ _Hello. This is Kumori Sabiru. I’m looking for Uchiha Sasuke.”_

The male voice that came through he recognized immediately from having watched interviews with the famous photographer. “You’re speaking to him.”

“ _Ah. Well, hello there then Sasuke. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”_

“Not really. I'm just making dinner.”

“ _I'm glad.”_ He sounded sincere, which brought a smile to his lips. _“I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me sometime this week?”_

Sasuke rolled that thought in his head. He was both interested and not in having dinner with the other man. Interested since it was the photographer he looked up to, and not because it was technically a date his brother had set up for him. He wished he had more time to think it through, but Kumori didn't sound like a guy who liked to be kept waiting.

In the end, he decided to just go for it. “Sure. I'm free Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.”

“ _Excellent. Friday it is then. Let's say... at around six? At Mashiro Hato?”_

“Sounds good.”

“ _Great. I'll see you then.”_

“Sure. Bye.”

Sasuke hung up and let out a relieved sigh. He had forgotten how exhausting these things were.

“Who was that?”

He jumped at the voice and turned around to find Naruto standing in the doorway. He considered telling the man that it was none of his business, but decided that wouldn’t be the best idea and instead went for the truth.

“Itachi – my brother – thought it would be a good idea to make me date again. So he fixed someone for me to start with.”

“That’s who it was? A potential lover?”

“Sort of.”

The two men went quiet until Sasuke remembered dinner and got back to work. He picked up one of the eggs and started cracking it against the side of the bowl before dumping the insides in it. He halted in his work when a feeling of being watched washed over him. He turned around and sure enough, there stood Naruto still, just staring.

“What?” he asked not unkindly.

“Need any help?”

“I’m good. Thanks for offering though.”

“I’m going to have to learn someday, you know.”

“You can start after those wounds have healed,” he said, referring to the blonde’s bandaged hands.

“It was just a little accident-“

“Three,” said Sasuke, interrupting the other. “One for cutting yourself using the knife. Two for burning your fingers at the stove. Three for dropping a glass and then cutting yourself on the shards while trying to pick them up.”

Naruto shrugged. “It could have been worse.”

“I agree that it could, though I’m thankful it wasn’t.” He turned back around and continued with his task. “Now go away so I can work in peace. I don’t need you staring at me.”

He heard the other snort. “I wasn’t staring…”

Thankfully, Sasuke was left in peace and moments later dinner was ready.

…

“I think we should go shopping tomorrow.”

“We?”

Sasuke looked away from the TV that was playing the ending credits of a movie they’d watched. “That’s what I said, wasn’t it?”

“What I meant to say was what for? Why both of us? Why not just you?”

The raven raised an eyebrow at the other. “Are you being serious right now?”

“If I wasn’t, why would I be asking you all these questions?”

‘ _That’s a fair point,’_ thought Sasuke while out loud he said, “You need some things.”

“Like what?”

“Clothes, shoes, toothbrush, shampoo, deodorant, a phone.”

“That’s… That’s a lot.”

“It is, but it’s necessary.”

“I can’t accept all of that Sasuke,” said the blond with a shake of his head. “It’s too much. You’ve already done enough for me. Giving me a place to stay, food to eat and a bed to sleep in is more than enough.”

“If you think I’m just doing this for you, then you’re wrong. I’m doing it for myself as well.”

“How does me getting stuff benefit you?”

“Well for starters, having your own set of clothes means that I won’t have to lend you any of mine. Besides, I think we are different sizes. Which reminds me of something, how old are you?”

“Eighty-three.”

Sasuke couldn’t decide whether to laugh or snort at that. He decided neither. “Stop joking around and tell me your age.”

“Fine. I’m twenty-five.”

The raven-haired man didn’t know what he’d really been expecting, but something from the way the other said it felt off. He decided not to linger on it and just nodded. “Okay.”

“What about you?”

“Me? I’m thirty.”

“Ah, so that makes you my senpai then?”

He stared at the blond for a full ten seconds before asking, “How much Anime have you been watching?”

“About twenty episodes.”

“In one sitting?”

“More or less.”

Sasuke didn't know how to react to that. He could only really sit down and watch one or two episodes until becoming bored. It never had anything to do with the Anime in itself, he just liked variation. To hear that someone had sat down and watched for hours on end of Anime always blew his mind. His friend Suigetsu had been the same way in school.

“You think I’m weird.”

The raven noticed the lack of a question in there, but decided to answer anyway, “No weirder than some people I know.”

Naruto chuckled at that. “Really? And who is the weirdest person you know?”

Sasuke thought about that for a moment before he said, “I’ll get back to you on that.”

“I don’t doubt it Sasuke-senpai,” he said with a wink.

He glared at the other. “Don’t.”

“Why not? It’s only respectful to refer to your superiors as such, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but there are other ways. Though I prefer being called by my name only.”

“No honorifics?” The blond seemed surprised. “None at all?”

Sasuke shrugged. “Most honorifics reminds me of the past. I’d rather forget that.”

“Bad experience?”

“Something like that.”

“Mind talking about it?”

The raven thought about saying “no” but something told him to wait. He didn’t know what it was about the other man, but he had a certain air about him that made him easy to talk to. Despite only having met him earlier that day, Sasuke felt like he’s known him much longer. He felt like he could put his trust in Naruto, but even he knew it was still too early to talk about his past.

“Not yet,” he said in the end.

The blond only smiled. “Take your time.”

Those thoughtful words brought a smile to his lips and no matter what he did, he couldn't get rid of it.

 


	4. Chapter 4

_7 th of June, 2016. Tuesday._

“What about this?”

“Not a chance.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “What's exactly wrong with it? The shirt is nice, and the pants are comfortable.”

“It's the colors.” Sasuke stood up. “The pants are fine, but with that top?” He gestured at the mint green colored fabric. “You're better off wearing nothing then.”

“Nothing at all, or go bare on top?”

“Bare on top, of course. We don't need you getting into trouble for public nudity.” He turned away from the blond and looked at a range of different shirts. Eventually, his eyes landed on a white one he liked and grabbed it. “Try this one.”

“White is a boring color.”

“It'll go well with the orange though.”

The blond sighed. “Alright, alright.” He grabbed the shirt and went back to the changing rooms. “I just don't see what the big deal is with mixing a few colors together. I think that just shows you're a fun person.”

“It can, but mixing the wrong colors can also make you look stupid.”

“Who cares?”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“I'm an artist and interior designer. Choosing the right colors is part of my job.”

The curtain was drawn back and out stepped Naruto. Sasuke froze on the spot. The shirt he'd chosen looked great on his body. It hugged him in all the right places and made his skin look a bit darker and everything else lighter.

“Does it look weird?”

That snapped the raven out of his thoughts and he quickly shook his head. “No. It looks good.”

“Really?” He turned to the mirror, studying his reflection. “I think it seems to be lacking a bit.”

“It's really not.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. I'll take this too then.”

“Great. Ready for the next one?”

“As ready as I'll ever be.” He sighed. “You just go ahead and pick whatever goes together. I'll go change back.”

Sasuke silently agreed with that, setting off to find some clothes that would work well. He walked to the shirts first and then to the pants section. He also went to look at blazers and dressing shirts. While browsing, he suddenly felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned around in question and wished that he hadn't.

“Hello, Sasuke-kun.”

He forced down a sneer and gave Sakura a mild expression. “Hello.”

“Are you buying clothes too?” she asked and looked at the pile he held. “Finally decided to go colorful?”

“No. These aren't for me.”

“Oh.” The way that the woman tensed up might have gone unnoticed by a lot of people, but Sasuke was a good people reader. He could tell that the news upset her. “Who is he?” Sakura was oblivious to a lot of things like his feelings, but his lack of preference of any of the sexes was not one of them.

“I honestly don't see how that is any of your business.” He turned to walk away. Unsurprisingly, she followed.

“It is!”

“How?”

“Your happiness is my business.”

“Since when?”

“Since the first time I saw you.”

He stopped at that and looked over his shoulder back at her.

“I've always loved you ever since that day I saw you inside the classroom in middle school. When you accepted my love confession and we started going out I thought that I was dreaming. I tried my best to be the perfect girlfriend and did everything I could to make you happy. Your happiness has always mattered to me.”

At one point Sasuke might have believed those words, but now he knew better. “Listen Sakura,” he started, leaning in to not let nearby people hear his next words. “You don't love me, you love the idea of me.”

Sakura looked like she had been slapped. “That- That's not true. I do love you.”

“What you've shown me over the years isn't love, it's obsession. You have this idea in your head that makes you believe you love me and I love you, but that's not the case.”

“Y- You said it.”

Sasuke pulled back, raising an eyebrow. “Said what?”

“You said you love me.”

_'Oh for fuck's sake-'_

“Sasuke?”

The raven-haired man thanked whatever force existed for the great timing to get interrupted before he turned to the blond.

“You were taking so long that I'd wondered if you had gone home.”

“No. I'm still here. I just got a little caught up.”

“With what?” Naruto asked. He looked behind him, noticing Sakura. “Oh. Hello.”

Sasuke watched the woman's reaction carefully. Any indication that she didn't like the blond he would pick up on. Sure enough, her posture seemed to stiffen and her overly sickly sweet puppy-dog eyes hardened.

“Hello,” she greeted Naruto with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. “Who might you be?”

“I'm Namikaze Naruto, and you?”

“Haruno Sakura.”

The tension between the man and woman was thick. Thick enough that you could slice it with a knife. The silence didn't help and eventually, Sasuke decided to break their little staring contest.

“Alright,” he said, catching both of their attention.

Sakura's face instantly became the sweet innocent love-struck look that he had come to hate. Naruto's looked heavenly in comparison with his face contorted in complete confusion.

He didn't think twice as he turned towards the pinkette and said, “We will be leaving now Sakura. We have things to do. Goodbye.” He grabbed the blonde's arm and practically marched over to the changing rooms. He didn't stop until both of them were in one of the rooms, curtains covering them.

“What is going-?”

A pale hand silenced any questions the other man was about to ask. Sasuke turned to Naruto and whispered, “I promise I'll explain everything later. Please just keep quiet for now, okay?”

The blond didn't look happy but did as he asked. The raven waited a few minutes before he let go of the other and drew back the curtain. When he saw no Sakura anywhere he was relieved beyond words.

“What the hell was that?”

He turned back to Naruto. The idea of explaining didn't sound appealing at all, but he would if only to try to maintain the start of this friendship.

“Try these on and then we'll go to a place to eat. I'll explain everything there.”

The blond surprisingly agreed. He had expected a bit more of a fight, but the other man seemed fine with waiting until later. Maybe it was because Sasuke had promised that he would explain. Whatever the reason may be, he was glad that he didn't have to say anything yet.

…

“Are you gonna tell me what that whole ordeal was about now?”

It had been pleasantly silent the past hour since the incident with Sakura. Naruto hadn't brought up anything even relating to what had happened earlier. For a moment Sasuke had wondered if he'd forgotten, which would have been a lifesaver. It seemed like he hadn't though judging by his question.

He let out a sigh before he said, “That was none other than Haruno Sakura.”

“Yeah, I gathered that. She told me so herself. What I don't understand is her reaction to me and what she is to you.”

“She's my ex-girlfriend.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“That still doesn't explain her reaction to me though. She was acting like I was something under her shoe.”

“That is how she treats people she sees as a threat.”

“A threat to what?”

“A threat to the position of a lover.”

A silence settled over their table. Sasuke didn't dare look up and see the expression Naruto was wearing. Most people he'd told about his preference hadn't reacted too badly, but those that had been bad. They would often spout insults in his face or talk behind his back. None went physical though, most wouldn't dare since his name was feared by many. If he was honest with himself, it scared him to know what Naruto's reaction would be. Would he react badly, or would it be fine? Or would he react like his father did, not understanding it at all?

“Sasuke.”

He snapped out of his thoughts and forced himself to look up. Blue eyes met his head on, but it wasn't in a cold gaze that he had thought he would find there, it was rather warm.

“It's okay.”

Those two little words may not mean much in any other context, but they meant the world to Sasuke in that moment. He couldn't help but smile in his relief. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” said Naruto with a smile. “Now, tell me all about this ex-girlfriend of yours.”

“Why? Are you interested in her?” He prayed that that wasn't the case.

“No, but I would like to know how to be able to handle her next time we meet. Because there will definitely be a next time.”

_'That's smart,'_ he thought with a smile. “Alright. What would you like to know?”

He shrugged. “Anything that you’re willing to share.”

“Well.” Sasuke thought about it for a moment, choosing his words carefully before speaking. “Sakura has always been a very lively person. She’s very expressive and sensitive. She’s also quite intelligent, but extremely blind.”

“Why do you say that?”

“She had good grades in school, but she can’t see or understand what should be plainly obvious.”

“Like what?”

“That we are over and will never get back together ever.”

“Ever? Isn’t that a bit of a stretch? You never know what the future holds.”

“I know enough that I wouldn’t want to be together with her. She has this idea in her head that I’m in love with her.”

“Are you?”

“No.”

“Alright.” Naruto picked up his drink and took a sip of it. “So she’s a dreamer then.”

“Pretty much. It would be fine if she was having a hard time getting over me if we had broken up a few months ago, but it’s been over a decade since we dated.”

“Wow. That long?”

“We met in my senior year of high school.”

The expression on the other man’s face told Sasuke that he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “And she hasn’t left you alone since?”

“Yeah.”

“Yikes.”

The raven smiled at that reaction. The two men fell into a comfortable silence then that he took advantage of to eat some of the food he hadn't had the chance to touch yet.

“What kind of artist are you?”

Sasuke looked up from his plate and into blue eyes. “I mostly paint, but I've tried a few other things.”

“Such as?”

“Sculpting, animation, graphic designing, ceramics. There are a lot of things I've had the fortune of working with.”

“Wow.”

He shrugged. “It's just a hobby. What about you? Do you have any hobbies?”

Naruto seemed hesitant to answer, but eventually said, “I like to sing and have always loved writing.”

Sasuke hadn't really expected that. Upon looking at the blond he could have sworn he was interested in modeling or something like that. He certainly had the looks for it.

_'I guess this is why you never judge a book by its cover,'_ he thought with a smile.

“Kind of lame, right?”

The raven shook his head. “Not at all. I find it very interesting. Both singing and writing are very creative hobbies, much like painting is.”

The blond smiled. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

They didn’t talk much after that, but the silence was far from awkward. Sasuke couldn’t remember the last time he spent this much time with a roommate that he didn’t mind spending time with. Every other one had either talked too much, been too quiet, or not interested enough. They had also had interests which he’d found either boring or just plain disturbing. So he was glad that he and Naruto had some similar things in common.

It wasn’t long until they finished their food and left the restaurant. The two went to their next destination which was a shoe shop. Sasuke let Naruto do what he wanted for several moments before deciding to poke his head and help him choose good shoes.

Seven tries and two pairs bought later they walked to a convenience store. While their goal was to get Naruto some toiletries, the other man had other ideas. Despite the blond being in his late twenties, he acted more like a kid than any other adult that Sasuke had met. He was constantly asking the raven-haired man if they could get snacks or food that they didn’t really need.

‘ _This must be how Itachi feels.'_ He let out a tired sigh.

In the end, they managed to get the stuff they came for coupled with a few snacks that Naruto had wanted. Sasuke found out pretty quickly that saying no to the other man was difficult. Especially when he looked at the raven with that puppy-dog-eyed look. He hated seeing that expression on Sakura, but Naruto strangely suited it. Not that he would ever admit that out loud.

After the convenience store, there was just one more destination. To get the blond a cellphone. On their way there Naruto had tried again to convince Sasuke that it wasn't necessary, but he had managed to convince the other that it was.

“Once you get your key to the apartment and can go out a cellphone will be very useful.”

After that, the blond had shut his mouth and stayed quiet until they went to the right store. They immediately went to the aisles that had different types of phones. Upon seeing the little devices Naruto seemed to throw aside what he’d been arguing about before. Instead, he started to study and check which one felt good in his hand.

Half an hour later he’d chosen a black iPhone 6 with an orange case. Seeing the color Sasuke couldn’t help but voice the question that he’d been wanting to ask for a while now.

“What’s with your obsession with the color orange?”

The blond shrugged. “I don’t really know. I’ve always liked the color. It’s bright and I feel warm inside by looking at it.”

The raven kind of understood that. There were certain colors he liked just looking at because it made him feel a certain way. “I can relate.”

He smiled. “What’s your favorite color?”

Sasuke thought that over for several minutes until he finally said, “Blue.”

“Any specific reason?”

He shrugged. “I like looking at the sky at night or in the morning.”

“You kind of sound like someone I know.”

He raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask who.

“He loves looking at the sky – more specifically – at the clouds. It’s a hobby of his.”

“Sounds like a very relaxed type of person.”

“Yeah, he is.”

They went to the cashier and paid for the phone before walking out of the store. Sasuke checked off his mental list and told Naruto that it was time to go back. The blond didn’t seem disappointed when he heard that as he smiled and nodded.

It took a while but they eventually made it back safe and sound. The raven immediately began placing some of the things they had bought in the right places. The blond meanwhile took his stuff and went to his room.

When Sasuke was done he put on some tea and then moved to sit on the couch. He leaned back in it, utterly exhausted.

“Is that green tea?”

He slightly jumped at the voice and turned around to face Naruto. “Can you stop doing that?”

“Do what? Not my fault you keep letting your guard down.”

He huffed and turned away. “It’s my home, why shouldn’t I have my guard down?”

The other didn’t respond and soon he could hear the clinks of mugs from the kitchen. He closed his eyes and just listened to the noises. Moments later he could hear the sounds of footsteps. A light pattering on the tiled and then carpet floor. He felt the right side of the couch sink and a mug get placed down on the table before he opened his eyes. He watched Naruto reach for the remote and turn the TV on to his usual channel.

They didn’t say anything and just began to watch while drinking their tea. Sasuke could say that he felt content at that moment without a doubt.

 


	5. Chapter 5

_10_ _th_ _of June, 2016. Friday._

Sasuke stood in his room trying to decide on what to wear for his date with Kumori Sabiru. His eyes studied the range of shirts and pants that he'd laid out on his bed. Some were casual while others a bit more formal. He knew Mashiro Hato to be a fairly fancy place, yet it held a certain lightness to it.

Apart from whether to go casual or formal, he was also wondering a bit about what colors to choose. Most of the clothing he owned was dark shades of reds, blues, and greens. He had a few white and black shirts but felt they made his skin look far too pale. As for pants he mostly had black, gray, and blue to choose from.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, startling him out of his thoughts. He turned towards the noise, but didn't move from his position as he called out, "Come in."

The door swung open to reveal Naruto. The man looked at him, eyes sparkling with wonder. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to choose an outfit."

"For the date?"

"Yeah."

The blond hummed and walked into the room to stand beside him. Sasuke watched the other study his clothes laying on the bed. Moments later, he turned back to him.

"You really don't have many colors to choose from."

"Not that many suit me."

He hummed again and went back to looking. "What kind of place is it?"

"It's fancy, but you wouldn't look strange wearing casual clothing."

"What about colors?"

"I'm in between the blue and red with black or gray. What do you think?"

"Well I'm not a fashion guru or anything, but I like the dark blue one."

The shirt Naruto was referring to was a dress shirt. It had been a gift given to him by his mother on his twenty-eighth birthday along with a black tie. Sasuke had decided early on to not go full formal so his ties were still in the drawer.

"Blue it is then." He walked over to the bed, picking up the shirt and put it on, slowly buttoning it up. He left the last two open and rolled up the sleeves to show a bit of a casual vibe before turning to the other man. "Well?"

"It looks good."

The raven-haired man had expected the compliment, but what he hadn't anticipated was the warm sensation coursing through his body from hearing it. He quickly shook it off and turned to the pants section. He was in between jeans and dress pants.

"Go for those." The blond pointed at the only gray dress pants he owned.

Sasuke decided to just go with it as he grabbed the pair and put them on. With them buttoned up and belt in place, he turned back to the other. He didn't bother asking this time believing that raising an eyebrow would be enough.

He proved to be right. "That's very nice."

The warm feeling was back and just like before he pushed it away. He glanced over at his bedside digital clock to see that he had ten minutes left until he needed to leave. He was a bit surprised that it had taken him less time than usual to pick a good enough outfit. Then again, he'd had help this time.

Turning to the blond he flashed him a smile. "Thank you for your help."

Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need to thank me. Helping each other is what friends are for, right?"

Sasuke was flooded with affection. It was the first time the other had referred to them as being friends. He had started doing that himself early on inside his head until the other day when he had said something along those lines out loud. The blond had flashed him that big smile he did when he was excited or happy. It would only be fair to do the same.

"Right."

They stood there in the silence until the raven remembered that he should get going. Moments later, he was standing by the door ready to go. The blond had followed him all the way to the hallway while he dressed. He hadn't said anything, but there hadn't been a need for conversation right now.

He opened the door and turned to the blond one last time. "Wish me luck."

"With your looks, you don't need luck." He smiled and clapped the raven on the shoulder. "Knock 'em dead."

Sasuke couldn't help but laugh at that before he turned and left.

It took him approximately twenty minutes to walk from home to the restaurant. He had considered driving there, but one look outside had changed his mind.

He stopped by a lamppost in front of Mashiro Hato, looking around for his date. There was no sign of the man, but that didn't really surprise him since he was a little early. A few minutes of standing around passed before he decided to sit down and wait.

Sasuke looked around until he spotted a bench a few feet away. In just a few strides was he there sitting, enjoying the sun. He watched people wander and occasionally looked up at the sky.

A flash made him look to his left where he saw Kumori Sabiru holding a camera. He looked much like how he did in the few interviews the raven had seen with him on TV. He had spiky light blue hair, blue eyes, and an easygoing smile.

"Sorry." Sabiru straightened up, smiling apologetically. "I couldn't resist taking one of you."

"It's fine." Sasuke shrugged. "I don't mind."

"Well, that's good." He put away the camera and stretched out his hand. "I presume you're Sasuke?"

The raven stood up and took it without any hesitation. "You're correct. What gave it away?"

"Your voice and also the fact that Itachi-san and you share some similarities."

He was not surprised to hear that, it was something that a lot of people said. "Should we go in? I don't mind standing out here talking, but the original plan was to go to Mashiro Hato."

The other man chuckled. "Yeah, let's go."

The two men went into the restaurant and were greeted by an older man behind a desk.

"Greetings gentlemen. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes."

"May I have your name please?"

"Kumori Sabiru."

The older man nodded and began looking through a book. He eventually glanced back up and said, "Right this way Kumori-san."

The two followed the older man to a table which was secured at the far back of the restaurant where not many people sat. They both removed their jackets and put them over their chairs before sitting down. Sasuke let his eyes rake over the other man. He was well-built and wearing a dress shirt that was a nice shade of light violet. He was handsome for sure, but there was nothing overly remarkable about the way he looked. At least, not in comparison to a certain someone he knew.

"See anything you like?"

The voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked up into blue eyes. "Maybe."

Sabiru chuckled. "I thought I had dressed up well enough tonight to at least be able to receive a good compliment from you."

"It takes more than just dressing up to make me tell you something you want to hear."

"That's a bit harsh." Despite his words, the man leaned forward and smiled. "It's okay though since I kind of like that."

Sasuke didn't really know how to respond so he decided to pick up the menu instead. A few minutes of silent browsing passed before both had decided on something. A waiter came over a moment later and took their order. When he left, Sabiru broke the silence.

"I hear that you're an artist Sasuke."

"Did my brother tell you that?"

"He did mention it, but I actually kind of knew before."

The raven was a bit surprised to hear that.

"My cousin - Haruka - is a fan of your work. I believe she even modeled for you once."

That surprised him even more. He had not known that the model and now actress Misora Haruka was related to the Kumori. The world really was small.

"You seem surprised."

"I never knew."

"Really? I thought she had mentioned me."

"She did talk a lot about a certain cousin of hers, but she never said a name."

"That's understandable. Haruka probably didn't want your attention to go elsewhere. She likes it to be directed at only her when she's in the room. Speaking of which, how does it feel to be growing in popularity in the media?"

"It's no different to how it was when I went to school. Although, I'm being more recognized by what I create rather than how good my grades are or how I look."

"Do you get mobbed?

"Not really. Most of my fans are very polite, though there are some really annoying ones out there."

That drew a laugh out of Sabiru. "I couldn't agree more. I have my fair share of polite admires and some crazy ones."

Before Sasuke could comment on it their food had arrived. They sat in a not so uncomfortable silence as they began to eat. There were some exchanged words on how good the food was, but no solid conversation. It took several minutes before the silence was broken, and by his phone nonetheless.

"Sorry," said Sasuke and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He read the name on the screen before turning back to the other man. "Do you mind if I take this?"

"Go ahead."

"Thanks." He then stood up and went to the restroom before answering. "You better have a good reason for calling me, Karin."

" _I do! How is the date going?"_

He sighed. "That's not a good enough reason to interrupt said date. Can't you contain yourself?"

" _I can, but this is too much for me to be able to just hold back my curiosity. Takeshi also wants to know how it's going."_

"It's fine."

" _Fine? Can't you say something else to describe it?"_ Before he got a chance to answer, she continued. _"By the way, how hot is he? Does he look like how he does on TV?"_

"No, I can't describe it any other way. Also, I'm not going to answer that."

" _You're so boring!"_

"Bye Karin."

_"Wait-"_

He hung up before she could get another sentence out. Another sigh escaped his lips as he looked up in the mirror. His complexion was as pale as usual, hair on point, and clothes complementing his looks. Naruto really had chosen well despite some of his horrible color coordination. He pocketed his phone before walking out. Sabiru greeted him with a smile when he went to take his seat.

"Sorry about that," he said apologetically before picking back up the knife and fork.

"It's alright. Things like that happen. I am curious on who whisked you away for a few minutes though."

"A friend of mine."

"Another artist?"

"Yes," he said a bit surprised. "How did you know?"

The other man shrugged. "Haruka didn't just talk about you. She mentioned that there was always a woman in your studio."

"Our studio," he corrected. "She and I share one."

"Ah. So you're quite close then?"

"You could say that. We've known each other for a long time."

"That's nice. I kind of wish I had friends like that."

Sasuke didn't respond to that, though he felt a little bad for the other. He knew he was pretty lucky to have gotten the chance to know the people he does. While his luck in relationships and love was pretty much nonexistent, friendship with people had blossomed quite easily. Although, he didn't meet a lot of them until college.

"You still have time," he said after a while. "One day you might meet that someone who will stick with you no matter what."

That brought a smile out of Sabiru. "I'll toast to that," he said and raised his wine glass.

Sasuke did the same, taking a sip of the red liquid. They finished their meal shortly and the other man proposed they get dessert.

The raven-haired man cringed at the thought. "You can get some, but I'll pass."

"You don't like dessert?" He didn't sound mocking, only curious.

"No."

"Why?"

"It's a bit difficult to explain, but I have always disliked sweets. There's just something about it that makes me gag. Really dark chocolate and certain pies are alright, however."

"Because the chocolate is bitter and some pies aren't all sweet?"

"Exactly."

"Alright. I'm fine without dessert this time. How about a walk?"

Sasuke let himself smile. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

The two men paid for their food before they left Mashiro Hato. They ventured down the street in silence, simply enjoying the weather. The raven was glad that the other man was being quiet since he enjoyed quiet more than conversation. The conversation during dinner hadn't been bad though, it had been fairly pleasant. Still, nothing beat a bit of silence and nice weather.

The silence continued for another minute until they came to a park. There was a bench nearby and Sabiru suggested they sit down. Sasuke nodded in agreement before following the other man. The sun was starting to set so the view was gorgeous. With its big green field and sky slowly going from blue to orange and pink.

Suddenly he felt something warm grab his hand. He didn't move but was now on alert. He felt the hand of the other turn his over and clasping it, palm to palm. The touch didn't really make sparks flow through his body like Karin had described when Takeshi touched her. Though it did make his body feel warmer. His heartbeat was starting to pick up too, but besides that, there was nothing remotely remarkable.

"Is this okay?" asked Sabiru in a whisper.

"It's fine," replied Sasuke just as quietly.

They continued to sit there in the silence enjoying the view until the sun had completely set. When the two were about to part the other man pulled him in close.

"What is your opinion on kissing on the first date?"

The raven-haired man knew what the other actually meant and said, "Why not ask me the question you actually want to ask?"

"You're quite observant," he said with a smile.

"It's what I do."

"Okay. May I kiss you?"

"You may."

Sabiru put his hands on his shoulders before leaning in and gently placing a kiss on his lips. Warmth spread through Sasuke, but just like with the touch of the man's hand on his there was no spark. No electricity of any sort. Still, it was nice and definitely better than nothing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter, everyone! Lately, I've been hooked on writing another story. I'll try to work on Fallen Angel a bit more in the future, but I can't make any promises. Mark my word though, I will finish this story. It just might take a really long time. Thank you for your patience and kudos! You're awesome!

_12 th of June, 2016. Sunday._

Rain fell from the dark gray sky, its cool liquid hitting the ground. The wind roared and roads already darkened by the summer downpour. None of these things bothered Sasuke however, he rather liked the change in weather. Even when having to drive in the storm it was nice and calming for him. The pattering sounds on the windows and roof of the car soothed his nerves.

Buildings of the city had long changed into the green fields of the countryside. Unlike last time though, he couldn't really admire the sight with the rain. It didn't matter though. There were plenty of more Sundays when he could do that sort of thing.

It wasn't long until he was driving up the driveway and stopping the car. He pulled out his key and grabbed a wrapped box that had been sitting in the seat beside him before venturing out in the rain. It managed to soak him even though there were only a few feet away from the car to the front door.

Sasuke took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Seconds later it opened and he was faced with his eight-year-old niece. There was already a smile on her face and she didn't hesitate to move towards him for a hug, seeming unconcerned over his soaked state.

“Hey, Yuna.” He smiled, putting a hand over her head.

“Welcome!” She pulled away from him, smile widening.

“Thank you.” Looking at her again he noticed she had become slightly wet because of him. “Maybe you should go dry yourself off.”

“Huh?” She looked confused until she noticed parts of her skin and clothes were wet. “Oh.”

He couldn't help but chuckle at her before presenting the box. “Could you take this with you while I remove my jacket?”

The previous expression on her face was wiped in an instant as a more excited look took place. “Of course!” She accepted the box and turned away from him.

He watched her go to the right into the living room before he went to remove his outwear. Once done he walked into the house, following after his niece. On the couch sat Yuna together with her mother Emi. The two looked up when he came into the room.

“Hello, Sasuke,” said Emi in greeting with a kind smile. “It's good to see you again.”

“It's good to see you too,” he said and went over to an armchair to sit close by them. “How have you been?”

“I've been well. What about you?”

“Same.”

“That's good. I heard from Itachi that your date with Kumori Sabiru went well.”

“It did.” For the most part at least. “We had a good time.”

“That's great. You have my blessing.”

“Thank you.”

“Oji-san!”

He glanced down and was faced with his niece holding a sketchbook. “What is it?”

“Draw me!”

He smiled and accepted the sketchbook. “Sure. Just give me a pen and eraser.”

“I'll get them from my room. I'll be right back!”

Sasuke watched Yuna as she disappeared from his view. He turned to Emi and said, “She's as hyper as ever.”

“Yeah. I think she's more enthusiastic because of Itachi.”

“Speaking of which, where is he?”

“He's taking a nap but will be up soon. He was working on something that made him stay up for a bit longer.”

“Okay. I want to tell you all something.”

“Oh?” She looked at him with curious eyes. “Are you and Kumori dating?”

“I think that's kind of a given,” he said. “No, it's about something else.”

Before Emi could open her mouth to ask, Yuna returned with the pen and eraser. The conversation between the two adults dropped as Sasuke turned to a blank page and began to draw. His niece wasn't exactly a person who liked being still, but thanks to him able to remember certain poses and expressions she didn't need to be.

Half an hour later he had a pretty solid sketch of his niece. He looked at it from all kinds of angles before settling the book down on the coffee table.

“Are you done?” asked Yuna and before he could answer she turned the sketchbook around to see his handiwork. “Wow! It's so detailed. Thank you for drawing me, Oji-san!”

Sasuke chuckled at her joy. “You're welcome.” Seeing his niece happy always filled him with such pleasure.

“If it isn't Sasuke.” He glanced up and saw his brother standing by the doorway carrying Seiji on his hip. “Welcome,” he said with a smile.

The raven-haired man returned the smile. It really was nice being back here again.

…

“Sasuke?”

Said man looked up in question. It had been hours since he'd arrived. They had celebrated his brother's birthday, which he'd been unable to attend to due to it having been on a Thursday. He had given his brother a mug that he'd painted a small Yuna and Seiji on.

The evening had shortly followed and the kids had gone to bed leaving the three of them to talk. They had moved over to the kitchen, enjoying a cup of tea. A plate of cookies stood by them as well, but Sasuke hadn't touched them for obvious reasons.

“You said earlier that you wanted to tell us something,” said Emi. “What is it?”

Sasuke took a deep breath before he said, “I have a roommate.”

Instead of questions flying out of their mouths like he'd expected, he was met with silence and surprised looks. Both Emi and Itachi were blinking repeatedly, being stock-still. Eventually, though, the piece of information seemed to finally sink in and his brother was the first to respond.

“Since when?” He looked a little bewildered. “And why? Didn't you vow to never share with anyone ever again?”

“If I did I was probably exaggerating. You know how I am when I’m in one of my moods.”

“I do, but still. You haven't shared with anyone in over three years. I thought for sure you were done with that.”

He shrugged. “Someone changed my mind.”

Itachi went silent so Emi took the opportunity to interject. “Is it a man or woman?”

“Man. His name is Naruto.”

“What kind of person is he?”

What kind? That was a tough question. He conjured up an image of the man in his head and it didn’t take long then for an answer to form. “He is honestly kind of an idiot.”

“Oh?” Her tone of surprise matched his brother’s expression perfectly.

“He's childish, loud and clumsy. He talks a lot and is obsessed with Anime.” That last part made him grimace before a smile took its place. “But he's also kind, caring, funny and honest.”

“That’s nice. Seems like you know him pretty well.”

“Not really,” he said honestly. “We only met a few days ago under some really odd circumstances.”

“Like what?” Itachi asked with a raised eyebrow.

He hesitated for a second but decided to just go with it and tell the story. When he was done both looked at him with a mixture of confusion, worry, and surprise. His brother was the one to break the silence.

“You found him out in the field? Unconscious?”

“Yeah, he also seemed hurt but I never really found out what was actually wrong with him.”

“Why didn’t you take him to the hospital?”

“I don’t know. There was something about the thought that didn’t sit well with me.”

“And letting him stay at your place was?” he asked incredulously. “When did you meet him exactly?”

“I found him last Sunday and we weren’t officially introduced to each other until Monday.”

“So, you’ve known each other for about a week. What have you found out about him so far? Besides what you’ve told us.”

It didn’t take Sasuke long to figure out what his brother was doing. “You want to know whether he’s a bad person or not.”

“What you’ve told us sounds pretty shady, you can’t really disagree with that. Is there anything that had made you wonder or question something about him?”

Sasuke thought about that long and hard before he said, “There are some things. When I first found him he said something along the lines of “shouldn’t be here” and when I asked if he was in some sort of trouble he denied it. I also asked him where he lived and couldn’t get a direct response. He said that it was somewhere far away, but didn’t tell me the name of the city or country.”

“That sounds really suspicious. I'm surprised you're even letting him stay.”

“He asked if he could and I... I don't know. There's just something about him that drew me in. Despite him being mysterious about where he lives there is just something about his character that makes you want to get to know him, you know?”

Itachi and Emi nodded, turning back to their tea. A silence fell between the three adults. They just sat there and drank their beverages, all in deep thought. Sasuke glanced over at the clock, noticing it was past eleven. He turned back to the others and said, “I should go. It's late.”

The couple looked back up at him, nodding. They all shortly left the table and made their way to the front door. It had long stopped raining, but the ground was still quite wet and air chilly. He turned back to the other two with a smile.

“It was nice to see you.”

“It was nice to see you too,” said Emi with a smile. She then leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Take care of yourself.”

“I will.” Sasuke looked at his brother. “Take care.” He turned to head out but was stopped by Itachi calling his name. “What?”

“Invite that roommate of yours next time, alright?”

“For what? Interrogation?”

He shook his head. “I’m curious about what kind of person he is myself. I want to know if you’re correct in what you told us about wanting to get to know him despite everything.”

He guessed that made sense. “I’ll ask, but can’t promise I will bring him.”

“Something tells me that he will come.”

“How can you be so sure?”

His brother shrugged. “Don’t know. Let’s just say I have good instincts?”

He smiled. “We’ll see about that.”

After that Sasuke headed out and went over to the car. The first thing he did was turn up the heat before placing his hands on the wheel and backing out of the driveway until he was on the road.

…

The apartment was dark and silent when he first stepped in. He didn’t bother switching on a light as he started removing his outwear and heading to the kitchen. He stopped shortly before stepping into the room, having noticed a light coming from another.

Sasuke turned around, heading to the living room. The TV was on and playing some sort of Anime he didn’t recognize. For a moment he wondered why it wasn’t turned off until he noticed the figure sleeping on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket.

A smile overtook his earlier confusion as he made his way over to Naruto. Reaching for the remote he turned the TV off before turning his attention to the sleeping man. He hesitated for a moment, captivated by how peaceful he looked when sleeping. There was a certain calmness about the blond, which was odd to see considering how restless he was when awake.

Sasuke watched him for another minute before kneeling down in front and wrapping his arms around Naruto. The other man didn’t even jostle in his sleep when he lifted him up. He easily made it to the other’s bedroom and gently placed the blond on the bed.

Sasuke then reached for the covers and put them over the sleeping man. He watched Naruto for a minute before turning to walk away. The raven halted when he felt something grab him. For a split second, he wondered if the blond had woken up. Turning back around to look at the other there was no indication that he had, however. His eyes were still closed and breathing even.

Sasuke glanced down at his hand that was in Naruto’s. An odd warm feeling spread through him as he watched the tan fingers loosely wrapped around his. It took him a moment to come back to himself and remove the other’s hand from his. The feeling vanished instantly when he did. There was hesitation in his steps before finally leaving the bedroom. Whatever he had been feeling was forgotten shortly.

 


End file.
